WAY OF THE WEST, the inside story….
I started this blog as there didn’t seem to be any real information out there on the 80’s band Way Of The West. Their music was influential at the time, and you can still hear it today in clubs and on radio stations that specialise in 80’s new wave but information? Very little.
Just so you know you’ve landed at the right place, this was the band that put out only 5 singles (and a half, check the music page) and they were, first to last, Don’t Say That’s Just For White Boys, See You Shake, Drum, City For Lovers and Feel The Steel between 1981 - 84. They recorded on three different labels Mercury, Innervision & MCA and toured in the US and Europe each year but split up not long after the last record and therefore don’t show up on most music radars.
I’d like anybody who’s interested to think of this as a little drop in centre where you can relax on the comfy sofas we have around the place and find out more, and, of course contribute yourselves to ‘the inside story of Way Of The West’. All background info greatly appreciated.
Here you’ll find various pages where you can find out what happened (The Story), hear the songs and get some inside info on the recordings (The Music), take a look at some record company photos and some of their own (Band Photos & More) and also read some irrelevant but hopefully entertaining background stuff (Name Dropping).
This is very much an ongoing project and I’ll add to it when I have the time and more content, including previously unreleased songs and a ‘Where Are They Now’ page. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for information on Way Of The West you’ve come to the right place, or maybe somewhere interesting enough to keep you diverted till the rain stops……..
Pete Kearney (Carney)
(News…… More music and a video have been added to the Music page, lyrics coming when I get the time)
( AT LAST…..11th May 08, Apparently we’re up and running on itunes!!! So, for anybody who wants to check it out, here it is: One Time,One Life
October 23, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Hi Pete,
This is Tim from Stupefaction. Nice to see you here, and happy to see the mystery slowly unraveling. Do you guys have any interest in getting your releases up digitally? Has there been any talk of any reissues? Let me know…I might be able to help.
Tim B.
Stupefaction blog
October 23, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Hi Tim
Thanks for the welcome but….Uh-oh. Being a beginner at this I hadn’t realised it would be ‘out there’ till I pressed something or added some tags! So, my cover is blown and I’d better get on with it. This is still very much a work in progress and anybody interested should bear with me as things may appear and disappear till I’ve got a grip on the process.
As for any digital releases, we’ve recently been contacted by a record company who’ve offered to put out a Way Of The West retrospective and I’m looking at it now, so with luck we may even get some long lost album tracks out too. But If you have any good alternatives though, let me know?
Pete K
October 29, 2007 at 1:19 am
Hey Pete,
First, look here: http://theworldsamess.blogspot.com/2007/10/way-of-west-where-are-you-here.html.
As for the release possibility, drop me a line on my email address which you should be able to see since you publish this blog. I’d be more than happy to help - I probably know who contacted you…
Tim
November 25, 2007 at 3:38 am
Hi Pete. I have been trying to find more info on WOTW for ages, and I finally stumbled upon this site via Google. I was a big fan, having grown up in NYC listening to local college radio stations that played your songs. New Yawk also had some great import record stores, so I was able to pick up a few of your releases, though I missed your gigs. Must have been in a coma when you toured
. I still have the Feel the Steel 7″ and the See You Shake 12″ though they are not in much better shape than your versions. The post-punk years were a great time for music. I would devour everything from the UK (inc. in no particular order, Au Pairs, Delta 5, Higsons, APB, Medium Medium, Dept. 5, Wire, Chameleons, The Sound, Magazine, Psych Furs, and all of the Factory groups) as well as US groups such as Suicide, Polyrock, Gun Club, Bush Tetras. Unfortunate that your album was never released. I could never understand why a compilation was never released given the strength of your singles. Please let me know when the songs are available on iTunes, as I would like to download proper versions (and see that you get some funds). Thanks for the background info on how the songs came into being. You know, I always thought that the woman talking on City for Lovers was actually Japanese. LOL. It’s funny what your mind hears or wants to hear. FYI: The Mudd Club, Danceteria, and Peppermint Lounge in NYC are long gone. Also, were you responsible for the video for Drum being posted on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4l6JVmxmVo
Also what release was The Cool Set on? I didn’t see it listed on the Music page. Also, what was the concept behind the song Don’t Say That’s Just for White Boys? Also, posting lyrics would be cool!
Please let me know if you need any help in promoting your music. Those songs have brought me many hours of enjoyment (I was just playing all of them on my iPod on a trip back home to NYC, which is why I was searching for more info on your band).
Harold Grey
San Jose, CA
November 28, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Hi Harold. Really good to hear from you and thanks for the comments, it’s nice to hear somebody was listening out there.
No, I didn’t know there was a video of Drum on youtube!! I thought I was the only person in the universe with a copy and it was definitely not me. I’ll have to check it out, though it’s actually quite useful as I don’t have a video player these days.
She could actually be Japanese if you prefer? I thought she was Italian because, in the last half of the 12″ of City For Lovers there’s a man speaking very quickly in Italian and I thought it was the same radio station I’d recorded but when I checked back (it was via a radio cassette player with short-band and I still have the cassette) I found that the station had been changed in-between so - let’s make her Japanese!
Or at least stateless…..
This is an embarrassing confession to make but I’d always assumed The Cool Set was the 2nd track on the B-side of the 12″ version of City For Lovers after Countdown. I say assumed because I don’t even have that version of my own record but I have the original acetate and that’s how it comes on there. I’m hoping that’s how the record actually came out but these things were sometimes changed by the record company so I’m open to correction from anyone who actually has the record? Thanks for reminding me anyway, I’ll put it up here on the music page soon as I can. I’ve also discovered some live music from a club in Boston I think, recorded in 84 and I’ll put those here along with a couple of the unreleased album songs I’m transferring. Yes, I guess I should really do a lyric page too. I’ll try to organize that over the next couple of weeks, (wish I had a secretary).
The concept behind ‘White Boys’? At the time (early 80s) there were riots in the UK, mainly black in the poorer parts of London. They were about exclusion, from good jobs, education etc. I guess it was thinking about what exclusion meant (on that level) and on a personal relationship level and trying to write something that could be perceived on both levels. Does that help? It’s the best I can do. A friend studying sociology showed me her textbook with the lyrics from ‘White Boys’ as a discussion subject! Fame at last!
You’re right, the post punk DIY ethic spawned a whole bunch of great bands and it was an exciting time to be playing. Most of those bands you mention I know, though for some reason I assumed The Psychedelic Furs were American? Don’t know why but no matter.
I’m almost done with the itunes thing and when it’s sorted I’ll post all the details here and I can email too if you’d like.
Pete K
France
November 29, 2007 at 11:52 am
hi harold..we do have some archive stuff but its all a matter of transferring from cassettes etc…you never know what may turn up!! cheers..speak soon .neil(bass)
November 29, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Hi Pete. Thanks for the info. I kind of figured that was the idea behind “White Boys” but it is always interesting to hear it straight from the artist. It’s funny, but when I hear the phrase “white boys” it sounds distinctly American, given the history of racial tensions in this country. I used to hear that phrase all the time, where I grew up in Brooklyn. Also, there was that song by Wild Cherry (”Play That Funky Music White Boy”
So I pulled out my CD of Pere Ubu’s The Modern Dance, and there on song 10, Humor Me, was the line “that’s just the way of the west.” Fascinating the influences that happen in music. Ohio was a real hotbed for a while in the late 70s with the likes of Ubu and DEVO. Many of these groups also seemed to have a Zappa/Beefheart influence in their thoughts and music. I guess what I really liked about WOTW is that there was always a sense of underlying political commentary (social or personal) in the music. I am also a sucker for great funky bass lines in songs, and I love the way your and Reid’s guitars play off each other, filling out the space in the music. Not to mention that Dave’s drumming is superb. I guess alot of people do consider the Furs American since the Butler brothers moved to the States in 82 or so, and they seemed to have bigger success here, but I know they got their start in London. FYI: You can always post a link to the YouTube video on this site. What are you up to now?
Rgds,
Harold
December 1, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Hi Harold
That Wild Cherry song was weird because, weren’t they white? People assumed they were black because of the lyrics.
Yes that’s the song, Humor Me. Pere Ubu were a band favourite. Liz was a big Devo fan and Neil, her replacement liked Beefheart and that mystery San Francisco band The Residents. We played a gig there and Neil visited the address printed on one of their records. No answer………just the way it should be.
Talking about Dave’s drumming reminded me that a US fanzine voted Neil & Dave as the rhythm section to see on tour, and in soundchecks I’d go out front with a long guitar lead just to hear them. Not so easy for Dave…….
I have a small update to the video mystery. I checked it out and called the company (Rock America) that originally made it. Though they didn’t post it, the original director (Ed Steinberg) is one of the partners there along with another guy who was a DJ on WLIR and a big fan of WOTW. Incidentally he also asked about the identity of that girl on City For Lovers so you’ve started something there. The outcome is they’re going to send me a DVD of the video which is cool as I don’t have a player. I’ll try doing the link thing but I’m not a natural at this so it may not work first time.
What am I up to now? Well….I’m still ‘obliquely’ connected to music though I haven’t played live for around 10 yrs. I’ll save the story for when I get round to doing the ‘Where Are They Now’ page but one of the things I’m involved with is a little ‘international’ electro pop project with a German keyboard player and a London girl singer. Hardly any gtr and we don’t play live! Here’s the link if you want to check out the very low key site http://www.i-love-pop.com/ though I leave the website stuff up to others and don’t usually mention my earlier days! We also made a very expensive ($10) video for one song here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwzaDnDRkcI in which I feature for a nano-second, and I mean nano-second.
Talking about Devo reminded me of a favourite saying I found scratched in the wax around the centre of Boojie Boy by the (i assume?) cutting engineer.
“Money Talks, Men Mumble”………So true
Pete K
France
December 2, 2007 at 3:36 am
Hi Pete. That would have been funny in SF if they answered when Neil rang and they were wearing the giant eyeballs
So to include the Drum video in your blog, there is some code on the YouTube page for the Drum video along the right side called “Embed.” I believe if you copy and paste that entire piece of html code into the code for your page, such as http://mercury66.wordpress.com/music/, it will automatically do what you need it to. Let me know if you get stuck. I like the sound of “I Love Pop.” Great stuff…
Rgds,
Harold
December 2, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Thanks for the advice.
I believe the giant eyeballs were eventually stolen? They’ll probably turn up in an art gallery somewhere, though I can’t imagine the band turning up to claim them…….
Glad you like ILP. I’ll attempt to put some never released WOTW album and live recordings on the blog in the next few days so feel free to check them out.
best wishes
Pete K
December 10, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Props Harold for posting this link on our Psychedelic Furs site and getting me here!
I owe you one buddy!
Great job and great information Pete!
Keep it coming!
Regards,
DiP
(Moderator, http://www.BurnedDownDays.com)
December 10, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Pete,
Just re-read this thread:
“…though for some reason I assumed The Psychedelic Furs were American? Don’t know why but no matter.”
Perhaps you were just partially psychic since RB, Tim and John are all American now!
D.
December 10, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Really?…..Well. Now I just need to buy a lottery ticket.
It could have been the sound.Compared to the other UK bands around at the time I think they ’sounded American’? Maybe if WOTW had stayed in the US we’d be rhyming leisure with seizure by now??
Pete K
December 12, 2007 at 4:22 am
OMG I LOVE YOU GUYS!! I consider myself a latter-era fan of Way Of The West, not having discovered you guys until the Internet introduced me to your music, but now I am a full on, fully fledged fan. One of my absolute favorite songs is “My Own Front Door” and I also happen to love “Don’t Say That’s Just For White Boys”, and obviously “City For Lovers”, which started it all for me, kicks so much ass. I love that you’re taking the initiative and doing this to reignite interest in WOTW, thus joining the ranks of fellow awesomely cool New Wave groups such as the Scars and B-Movie, which also have official presences online. OMG, and I just forgot that “See You Shake” was another great, notable song of yours!! Oh man, now I’m off to play “My Own Front Door” because I am totally craving a few dozen listens of it.
p.s.: I’ll be 28 later on this month, so I’m interested in finding out if there are any other twentysomething fans you’re aware of.
December 12, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Hi Deanna
Your comments are very sweet and most appreciated. On behalf of the rest of the WOTW crew we all bow before your kind words!
I’m very impressed that you’re a fan of “My Own front Door” too. It was always one of our favourites but sometimes seen as ‘difficult’…..especially by the record company.
Your other point about taking the initiative? I’d like to think it was as thought through as that but really, I only started this because there was so little out there and I finally gave in to the people who kept asking me to get something together. I don’t know where it will finish up but it’s an interesting ride…
I’m constantly surprised that people know our songs at all, and without the internet there’d certainly be no new fans like you so, 28?
Yes, that’s young as you couldn’t have seen us first time round but I’ve been contacted by young fans who say they discovered us on vinyl or radio and they love the stuff.
Happy to be included with the ‘awesomely cool’!
Pete
January 14, 2008 at 4:05 am
Hi Pete,
Just dropping by to see if there’s anything new going on here. Drop me a line when you have a minute. Have you made any progress with Keith & the digital thing?
Tim B, NYC
p.s. Happy new year!
January 15, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Hi Tim
I’m just out the other side of the festivities and had a few things to finish but I’m back and hoping to get a lyric page happening in a few days.
As for the downloads, the holdup was a technical issue with the files. That and Keith just back from holidays too….. It should be sorted this week and then (fingers crossed) they’ll be up on itunes within a month. 20 yrs late so a small delay shouldn’t hurt. I’ll keep everyone posted with all the details soon as I get them.
and a Happy new year to you too.
Pete
January 30, 2008 at 6:27 am
OMG iTunes — why did you not tell me about this development in email??? I would LOVE to purchase WOTW tracks on iTunes so I can contribute some to the “let’s help WOTW actually make some cash money in these here 2000s” fund! Congrats on the iTuneage!
p.s.: WOTW are still “awesomely cool”. In fact, because of you, Mr. Ex-Carney, you have all gotten way cooler in my book and could already be the coolest obscure[-ish] NW musical artist of all time.
February 5, 2008 at 2:18 pm
We’re having a few techie problems with the song files but we’re almost there. It should be this month, fingers crossed.
Just back from London and a friend showed me something he’d discovered on ebay. The WOTW collection! 17 songs on a CD with little prints of the single covers inside and a ‘marketed by Phonogram’ sticker to give it some official look. They probably do loads of bands. Anyway, I was a little nervous when I listened to it. What if it sounded better than my own versions? I Needn’t have worried as at least 50% were distorted. Not sure how they were put together but just shows what’s going on.
My day is made. Not just awsomely cool but obscure(ish). How will I sleep?
Pete
February 21, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Pete,
Any updates???
Thanks 1M!
D.
February 23, 2008 at 10:58 pm
I’m told 6-8 weeks till the songs are on itunes. We had some strange happenings
where the files were fine when uploaded but when they reappeared they were running
at a completely different speed. Everything’s ok now but delayed of course. Looks like it won’t be before March/April now.
Pete
February 27, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Thanks Pete.
I’ll be sure to post the details on our Furs site!
The word must be spread!
D.
March 26, 2008 at 8:39 am
“My day is made. Not just awsomely cool but obscure(ish). How will I sleep?”
Ha ha ha. Your wit is practically arid.
And sure, “obscure(ish)”, but only because I don’t hail from the American NE. Apparently WOTW were an especially huge success in the NY Tri-State area and got measurable airplay for at least two of your/their songs on commercial radio. So good for you, you “made it there”, as the old Frank Sinatra song went. Unfortunately that didn’t lead to you “making it everywhere” (as he might’ve sung) as I don’t believe such success traveled all the way down here in the U.S. Southwest. Which, come to think of it, is as arid as your sense of humor.
Glad to hear the bootleg was of an inferior sound quality (after all, *you* should be entitled to the crispest sounds possible wrt the WOTW back catalogue) and hopefully the iTunes thing will happen sooner rather than later. Also — where are you? Are you busy with the iTuneage? With other things? You know, Gmail is an awfully easy web-based email provider to deal with, hint hint…..
March 28, 2008 at 11:41 am
No, not busy with ‘ituneage’. Everything has been checked and sent off so I’m awaiting a date for it to go live, nothing has worked first time yet so let’s see how it goes. I’m about to return to London again for a week, and possibly out of the loop for that time too.
As for making it v not making it? I don’t know how you measure these things but for World Domination U2 style old Frank could have sung ‘They Made It No-Where’! But as we all know, making it’ like that is no guide to quality and I like to think we have a more intelligent and of course ‘cooler’ fan base. Then again I could just be delusional…..
May 11, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Glad to be able to say this. For those who just check the comments…
Way Of The West are Go…….live on itunes at last!!
May 23, 2008 at 4:05 am
You know, the only thing better than (finally) finding a Way of the West site is finding a Way of the West site that’s maintained by the actual band members!
I went straight to iTunes to purchase the digital album, but got an error message saying “Purchase of the item is not currently available. The item is being modified. Please try again later.” I can play the 30 second samples of the tracks though. Hopefully it will get straightened out soon, because I’m really looking forward to having a copy!
I wish I could say that I was with you guys from the beginning, but I’m a latecomer as well. I was in the right time, but the wrong place (as in no place with a WLIR, KROQ, or CFNY). I first heard “Don’t Say That’s Just for White Boys” on a compliation CDR a buddy of mine put together for me back in 1999. I found the 12″ single for “Drum” at a second hand record store a few weeks later, and then that was it for awhile until I started digging for rare New Wave material again in 2006 and came across most of your other tracks through various online file sharing outlets. I’ve been hooked ever since. My favorite tracks are “Feel the Steel” and “Countdown”, but I love ‘em all. As Deanna mentioned, I’m glad that I will soon be able to buy your music through an official venue so that I can finally put a little money in your pockets where it’s rightfully belonged all of these years.
Anyway, nice to see you guys online. I look forward to finally being able to learn a little bit about the band that I’ve gotten so much enjoyment out of listening to these past couple of years!
Tom
P.S. You’re not delusional…we ARE a more intelligent and cooler fan base! LOL!
May 23, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Hi Tom
Thanks very much for the appreciation, and the confirmation that I may not be delusional after all. Those analysts can get pretty expensive.
I think the ‘item being modified’ message you got from itunes is hopefully for a good reason. I queried whether the album price wasn’t a little high, especially in dollars! Keith from Sentanta records, the people who organised everything for us said he’d check it out with itunes and I think (hope…
they’ve taken it off while they adjust the price. It should be back up pretty soon.
All latecomers gratefully accepted here at WOTW central, better late than never and I reckon a testament to the songs still standing up after all this time.
Thanks again for the appreciation,
Pete
June 3, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Hi Pete,
I just wanted to let you (and anyone else reading along) know that I was able to purchase and download all of the tracks individually from iTunes with the exception of the live track which is “album only”. iTunes applies the individual tracks purchased towards the cost of purchasing the full album, so there’s no real danger of having to pay twice for the same material. As soon as the full album is available for download again, I’ll be able to pick up the live track and complete the album for a couple of dollars.
I really enjoyed the unreleased tracks and will post some thoughts on them soon under the music page!
Tom
June 3, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Hi Pete,
Keith finally told me about the tracks being available on iTunes. Congratulations. How come no announcement on the blog?
Glad I could help put this whole thing together.
Tim
June 9, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I can’t believe you finally have a website! I grew up listening to your tracks on WLIR in New York. I just downloaded the stuff on iTunes. Thanks for telling us the backstory and all the great music. Where is the myspace page?
lol,
Patrick.
June 10, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Thanks for the comments, I’ve been visiting friends with no net or mobile phone connection. No withdrawal symptoms either and an interesting experience to be cut off without a daily supply of bad news.
Tom - Glad things seem to be working with the downloads, though I’m not sure why the album still doesn’t seem to be happening. I’ll get Steve Jobs onto it.
Tim B - Thanks for the original support and ideas. I thought I had announced it on the blog?
A blurb with the release date was added to the end of the page above (though I guess it could have been bigger) and another announcement on the music page.
I’ll make a separate page just for the release with the proper links.
Patrick - Many fans said they first heard us on WLIR. We listened to it in the truck when we played the NY area. As for the myspace page? I suppose I hoped this blog would be enough. I’ll take a look and if it’s easy (and doesn’t take all day) I might try it.
Just a minute….Why don’t you do it? After all, you have all the songs now, (and you’d have to handle all the myspace ‘friend’ stuff)!
Pete
June 30, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Hello Pete, like others I have been looking for the Way Of The West for such a long time. I first heard Don’t Say It’s Just For White Boys and See You Shake on The Post Punk Progressive Pop Party, WVHC then the Voice of Radio Hofstra now WRHU. White Boys was the back drop for the P5s general advertisement airing from 10 pm to about 2am. Yes, WLIR / WDRE supported you to the end.
TWOTW is on the P5 site or http://www.thep5.blogspot.com. The link up is to deathwearswhitesocks.com, so maybe other P5 fans will find you to Mercury66 if its updated.
Funny I bought 4 WOTW records late last year and searched as hard as I could to find you. Now 1 year latter I have WOTW on a POD. Sorry, I bought your records a 1/4 century too late. I was an early I Tunes buyer and I must say it was worth every penny.
Does the popularity on I Tunes really reflect which WOTW song is the most popular?
Will you every get together again? Please tour with the Gang of Four. I never saw you live so who knows? Maybe I will see you live a 1/4 century later too.
Good luck and your site is fantastic!
Rob
July 1, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Hi there Rob, and happy you managed to find us in the end. The people at WLIR and the others you mentioned were very influential on whatever success we had in the US. Without an American record label we had no other way of reaching anybody there so it was great that they kept on playing the records. I only heard about the P5 site a little while back and thanks to those guys too.
Yes you’re right, it is weird having WOTW available on itunes. I still don’t quite believe it myself. If, by itunes popularity you mean those dark bars next to the supposedly most popular songs? I don’t know yet whether that means anything or it’s just for show.
Talking about buying records, it may surprise people but I don’t have every record in 7″ & 12″. My girlfriend decided to fill some gaps when she spotted someone selling them on ebay and ordered them as a Christmas present. Of course they never turned up so I’m still looking…..
Touring again? I can’t even locate our drummer Dave, last seen in Australia. Dave! Are you out there Dave??
Glad you liked the site.
Pete